During World War II, women were serving double duty. Many women started working outside the home for the first time in their lives, but still had all of the responsibilities of their homes and children. Convenience foods and quick recipes started becoming really popular! Prepackaged mixes made life easier on busy moms. You could find muffin, biscuit, pudding and cake mixes available at the grocery store. By the end of the 1940s, you could purchase mixes for pancakes, rolls and cornbread. 

All of the families during WWII wanted to help the war effort as much as possible! Everyone wanted to win the war and see their loved ones come home. People grew Victory Gardens, so canned food could be sent to soldiers. Special cookbooks were written in the 1940s to help families make quick, easy meals that didn’t require rationed foods. Rationed foods were foods that were limited and you only could have a little bit at a time. One the first and longest foods to be rationed was sugar. 

This recipe is for Parsley Biscuits. They are really quick and easy. They aren’t fluffy or flaky, but more crumbly. They reminded me very much of a scone. Butter was a rationed food in Molly’s day, so the recipe requires shortening instead of butter. But since we don’t have food rationing, definitely slather butter on those warm biscuits! 😉 I served my family these biscuits with Kirsten’s Potato Soup and the combo was really nice. I hope you try these easy biscuits!

Molly’s Parsley Biscuits

For this recipe you will need: 2 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 1/4 teaspoon of sugar, 4 tablespoons of shortening, 1/2 cup of fresh parsley, 3/4 cup of milk, flour to coat hands and a tablespoon of butter (optional). The complete recipe is at the bottom of the page.

Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a mixing bowl. Blend well. Next, use a pastry cutter or fork to blend the shortening into the dry ingredients. Make sure your parsley is clean and dry, cut it into small pieces and add it along with the milk to the dough mixture.

Blend the dry ingredients.

Cut the shortening into the mixture.

Add milk and chopped parsley.

Place the dough onto a flat, floured surface and pat it until it’s a 1/2 inch or so thick. Using a biscuit cutter or a cookie cutter, cut out the biscuits and place them on a baking sheet. If you don’t have a round cookie cutter, a clean empty can would work also. Bake the biscuits for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden. Rub the butter on the biscuit tops while warm.

Flatten dough on a floured surface.

Place biscuits on a cookie sheet and bake.

Molly’s Parsley Biscuits

Parsley Biscuits ~ Pleasant Company

(This recipe has been adapted from Molly’s Cook Book)

*This recipe requires adult supervision.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoon of sugar
• 4 tablespoons of shortening
• 1/2 cup of fresh parsley
• 3/4 cup of milk
• flour to coat hands
• 1 tablespoon of butter (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl.
3. Using a pastry cutter or fork, blend the shortening into the dry ingredients.
4. Cut the clean, dry parsley into small pieces.
5. Mix the milk and parsley into the dough.
6. Place the dough onto a flat, floured surface and pat it until it’s a 1/2 inch thick.
7. Use a biscuit cutter (or cookie cutter) to cut out the biscuits and place them on a baking sheet.
8. Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden. Serve warm.